Don't Let Go
by Vestal Virgin
Summary: Sequel to "The Luau, The Lounger, and The Lady." This story is a missing scene from Coda, but not a Lake George story. Chakotay and Kathryn struggle to deal with the shuttle accident and their new relationship. Takes place between the time they return to the ship and the ending sequence of Coda.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Star Trek belongs to Paramount/CBS.**

**A/N:** This story is a sequel to "The Luau, The Lounger, and The Lady." It is not necessary to read that one first, but you might miss a few references. Since Coda is the episode immediately following, I had to write this sequel. This is NOT a Lake George story, but rather a missing scene between J and C's return from the planet and the ending sequence of Coda.

***V*V***

Chakotay stared down at Kathryn's pale face and haunted blue eyes where she lay on the biobed. He longed to hold her, to run his fingers through her hair and gently kiss the blood-red gash across her forehead. To tell her how much he loved her. The Doctor hovered on the other side of the bed, though, running scans and asking questions about her experience.

The injuries she sustained in the shuttle crash were bad enough, but the alien presence invading her brain had proven nearly fatal. Chakotay's heart thundered in his chest as Kathryn told the Doctor about living her death again and again, and seeing her father and then realizing he was a malevolent being. Her voice wavered when she talked about watching her memorial service and wanting to remain as a disembodied spirit to learn what happened to her crew. A quick glance at Chakotay conveyed why she didn't mention him being in the visions. Those memories were too painful to share.

"Have a seat on the first bed over there," the Doctor told Chakotay. "I'll be with you as soon as I set up a final scan on the captain."

Chakotay rubbed his wrist while he spoke. "I'm fine, Doc. I should get to the bridge."

The Doctor looked up at him. "Pardon me if I don't take your word for it, Commander. I'm not in the habit of accepting 'I feel fine' from shuttle crash victims. I'll determine if you are fit to return to duty after I have checked your injuries."

"Chakotay," Kathryn said quietly. "Let the Doctor examine you. Tuvok can handle the ship."

He saw the concern on her face. Wanting only to see her beautiful smile, he teased, "You're taking _his_ side?"

"This time," she answered with the smile he so desperately needed.

"All right, Captain." His words were professional, commander to captain. His tone said, "I love you, Kathryn." Chakotay sat on the biobed and waited while the Doctor waved the tricorder over him.

"Hmm," the Doctor muttered. "Just as I thought. The human body was not designed for high-speed impact, Commander. You have a badly sprained wrist and contusions on the right side of your head and on your thigh."

"Chakotay," Kathryn gasped. "Why didn't you tell us you were hurt?"

He shrugged. "I didn't feel it. I remember waking up lying over the console, but then I spotted you unconscious on the deck, and the shuttle was filling with gas."

"When the adrenaline rush from saving the captain's life wears off, you will no doubt become aware of the pain." the Doctor said. "Expect to be sore for a couple of days. I'm taking you both off duty tomorrow."

The Doctor finished running the regenerator over Chakotay's thigh, and then healed the wrist and head injuries. "You are free to go, Commander."

The EMH returned to Kathryn's biobed. "You need to stay a while longer, Captain, so I can keep an eye on your head injury. If you experience no further swelling or severe headache, you may return to your quarters later this evening."

Chakotay fought the urge to stay by her side.

"I will inform Lieutenant Tuvok of the change in the duty roster," the Doctor told Chakotay. "Perhaps you would ask Mr. Neelix to deliver dinner to the captain later?"

"Of course, Doctor."

Kathryn smiled. "I'll see you soon, Commander."

Back in his quarters, Chakotay checked in with the bridge and engineering. B'Elanna was already downloading the shuttle's sensor data to determine why the ion storms had not been detected sooner. He remembered the ion lightning strike that caused the systems failures leading to the crash, but a lot of what happened was still fuzzy in his mind.

Except for Kathryn. Watching her life slip away was as clear to him now as when it was happening. Images flitted through his mind of her body lying where she'd been thrown from the seat, the ugly, bloody gash across her face, and the computer's warning to evacuate the shuttle. His arms felt again the weight of her limp form as he carried her across the harsh scrub brush to the cave.

Painful memories mixed with more pleasant ones as he envisioned her leg folded in the chair while they had teased each other about talent night, and him leaning over her at the panel and catching a whiff of her scented shampoo. He heard an echo of her laughter after he'd told her there was no way he would get up and perform in front of the crew.

Lost in his thoughts, he muttered, "Kathryn, I swear I'll get up on that stage and do anything you ask." The strained words died out in the quiet of his empty quarters. He swallowed against the lump in his throat, and his fingers hovered over his combadge ready to contact the Doctor to ask about her progress. Realizing that only ten minutes had passed since he left her in sickbay, he dropped his hand and sighed heavily. He ordered a cup of tea from the replicator instead, and carried it to the low table in front of his favorite chair.

His boots thudded to the floor and his jacket landed haphazardly over the sofa cushion. He sat down, laid his head on the chair back, and stared through the viewport. The darkness of deep space, cut with streaks of passing stars and colors of distant gaseous nebulas, appeared so innocuous, seemed like it could go on forever without change. But too many times, _Voyager's_ crew had discovered the deception. Space could be deadly.

He sipped his tea, but the beverage tasted bitter. Sitting forward, he slid the cup away from him and decided to take a shower. A twinge of pain gripped his wrist when he pulled off his shirt on the way to the lavatory. Doc was right - now that the adrenaline was wearing off, Chakotay was beginning to feel his injuries. How must Kathryn feel? Was she in pain? Did she have a headache?

Chakotay undressed and stepped into the sonic shower. Kathryn preferred her bathtub, and he smiled with the memories of watching her curvy hips as she slipped into the water and sighed happily. Always, she sighed and leaned back until her head rested on the edge and her breasts floated just under the surface of the water. A couple of times in the weeks since the luau and their first night together, he'd sat on the floor beside the bathtub and talked with her while she soaked away the cares of the day.

Those conversations felt deeply intimate, like a privileged moment he was allowed to glimpse, a window into Kathryn the woman, with no trace of the captain's mask hiding her from him. When she had finished her bath, he'd held out a towel while she stepped into it, then wrapped it around her and gently dried her soft rose-scented skin and squeezed the water from her hair.

Chakotay shook his head to bring himself back to the present and turned under the sonic waves. Kathryn would probably want to bathe when she was released from sickbay. He would do that for her - run the water and watch the bubbles rise to the top of the tub, then help ease her aching body down until she was immersed up to the slope of her shoulders that he loved to pepper with kisses.

He needed to take care of her to reassure himself that she was alive, that he had somehow managed to keep breathing life into her until the Doctor and Tuvok arrived. The first groan from her lips as she had risen to consciousness had been a sweet music he would never forget.

Chakotay finished his shower, pulled on a pair of loose pants, and sat down on his bed to put on a tee shirt. Something on the night stand caught his eye, and he picked up one of Kathryn's barrettes, left there when she'd stayed in his quarters two nights before. He had cooked dinner for her, and they'd eaten by candlelight as she told stories about her father's service in Starfleet.

He could have listened to her all night, her voice firm with the pride she held in following the footsteps of the man who had been her biggest hero from the time she was a small child. When she had stalled in her telling with the pain of her father's death, Chakotay had led her to the couch and pulled her down on top of him, soothing her. She hadn't cried, only grown quietly introspective until she'd lifted her lips to his for a comforting kiss. Then, her grief had turned into need for affirmation of life, and she'd led him to the bedroom.

They had made love long into the night, slowly and tenderly, until he'd thought he would die from the passion stoked by her caressing hands. They'd lain on their sides wrapped in each other's arms and when he'd entered her, she had clung to him with her leg over his hip, and kissed him until he couldn't breathe. When at last he'd lost control and climaxed deep inside of her, she had cradled his head in the crook of her neck and whispered to him of her dreams for their future.

Chakotay lay down on the bed with the barrette clutched in his hand, trying desperately to remember that Kathryn from two nights before, instead of the one dying on the planet's surface just over an hour ago. With the adrenaline rush now replaced by fatigue, he drifted off into a restless sleep as he wondered what she was thinking while she lay in sickbay. Was she remembering making love to him, or was she reliving watching him and the crew mourn her death?

He jerked awake after only a few minutes, his hand clamped so tightly that the edges of the metal barrette cut into his palm. He loosened his fingers and laid the clip back on the table. With a grunt of frustration, he rose from the bed, finished dressing, and walked to Kathryn's quarters. At least there, he could program dinner into her replicator and get the bed ready for her.

As he keyed in the code, a voice behind him teased, "Breaking and entering, Chakotay?"

He whirled around to find the chief engineer standing in the corridor. "B'Elanna! The captain is still in sickbay."

"I was looking for you and saw you leave your quarters. You still haven't answered my question."

His tenuous control was slipping, and her smirk bothered him in his worry for Kathryn. Chakotay leaned against the bulkhead beside the door and closed his eyes. Opening them slowly, he said, "Please, not now."

B'Elanna noted the lines of worry around his eyes, the set of his jaw, and the sag of his broad shoulders. She stepped closer to him so she could speak quietly. "You're seeing her, aren't you?"

"I'm seeing to the captain's dinner, at the Doctor's request." A slight twist of the Doctor's words, but not exactly a lie.

B'Elanna recognized the evasive look. "That's not what I mean and you know it. I knew you cared for her, but something's changed. You just watched someone you love die on that planet, didn't you?"

"She's not dead!" he growled, his hand fisting at his side. Lowering his voice and forcing himself to calm, he said, "The Doctor wants to make sure her head injury is stable before he releases her. I'm supposed to make sure she eats a good meal and doesn't try to work this evening."

"Chakotay."

He cut her off. "B'Elanna, not now. Kath… The captain will be released soon. Have you finished the analysis on the shuttle already?"

"No, that will take a while longer."

"Then whatever you have for me, can it wait until later?"

His friend eyed him closely and then nodded. "Sure. It can wait."

"Thank you." He turned to the door and paused. Keeping his back to her, he said, "B'Elanna, don't say anything to anyone. I promise we'll talk soon."

"Yeah, okay. Call me when she's better."

He walked into the room and waited for the door to slide shut behind him. Dealing with the accident was proving difficult enough. The crew discovering their relationship was too much to think about. He pushed the conversation with B'Elanna out of his mind and concentrated on readying Kathryn's quarters for her return.


	2. Chapter 2

After well over an hour in sickbay, Kathryn finally cajoled the Doctor into releasing her. She needed to see Chakotay and knew he would be waiting for her. Separating fact from fiction of what occurred during the accident was confusing. She knew in her mind that Chakotay had not really watched her die, but suspected he was agonizing over her near death.

Chakotay was sitting in the chair by the viewport when she entered her quarters. He sprang up and took a halting step toward her, then another, and in three long strides was standing in front of her whispering her name. He wrapped his arms around her and held her closely but gently, mindful of her injuries.

Pulling back to see her face, he asked, "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay. A little stiff."

"Your head?"

"A mild headache."

"Kathryn, I'm so sorry for what you've been through."

She touched his cheek and met his eyes. "You kept me alive, Chakotay. The Doctor told me you administered CPR until he arrived. I saw you. I know I was unconscious, but I saw you fighting to keep me alive." A tear shimmered in her eye, and her hand on his side gripped harder. "I watched you lose me, and you rocked my body in your arms and cried."

He brought her head back to his chest and rubbed her back. "That part wasn't real, my love. I didn't lose you."

"I know, but it's a little confusing trying to tell myself what was real and what wasn't. The visions feel like they happened."

He kissed the top of her head, and they embraced silently for several moments as they drew strength from each other. Finally, Chakotay said, "I love you, Kathryn. So much."

"I love you, too. Thank you."

He pulled away again and clasped her slender hands between his. "Are you hungry?"

"A little, but I think I want a bath first."

He smiled. "I thought you might. I'll run the water while you get undressed."

"I can do it, Chakotay. I'm well enough."

"I know you can. Please, let me? I want to."

She understood his need to do something for her and squeezed his hands. "All right. Will you sit with me?"

"Of course." Before letting her go, he leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead where the long cut had been. No sign of the gash remained, but his mind clearly saw where the line of red blood had been. Pressing light kisses across her forehead and cheeks, he ended at her lips, lingering tenderly.

She kissed him just as gently, allowing his touch to further calm her rattled nerves. "Chakotay, what about your injuries?"

"I'm okay. I don't think I'll be playing velocity for a couple of days, but I'm fine."

"Have you prepared dinner yet?"

"No, not yet. I didn't know when the Doctor would release you."

"Let's go to the mess hall after I take my bath. We'll let Neelix worry about dinner tonight."

"Kathryn, you need to rest."

"I will." She lowered her eyes to his chest. "It's silly, but I feel the need to see my crew. My last memory of the mess hall is of my own memorial service and watching my body jettisoned away from the ship." She looked back up at his face. "I want to go."

Confusion clouded the normally confident determination in her eyes, and it pained him to see. "We'll eat in the mess hall and stay as long as you want. I'm sure everyone will be glad to see you." He turned and led her into the bedroom. "I'll start your bath."

Kissing her fingers, he let her go, continued into the bathroom, and instructed the computer to fill the bathtub. He added the scented bubbles that she liked and retrieved a towel and washcloth. When he finished, she was walking nude into the room.

He stopped her with his hands on her shoulders and carefully checked her over. "I guess I expect there to be some sign of what happened, but I'm relieved there isn't." He blinked rapidly as he laid his hand under her right breast.

"What's wrong?"

"I felt it. I heard the sound and felt it when I broke your rib doing CPR. I never meant to hurt you."

"Chakotay." She pressed his hand harder over her side. "You did what you had to do. Any successful CPR is going to crack some ribs. I can live with being sore for a day, but I can't live without a heartbeat."

He stepped back from her. "How many?"

"How many what?"

"How many did I break?"

She didn't want to tell him, but spoke honestly. "The Doctor repaired three: two on the right and one on the left."

Chakotay knew well the feeling of broken ribs, and fought the bile in his throat as he imagined the pain she might have suffered because of him. His breathing quickened and his eyes widened, staring at her torso.

She lifted his head and said firmly, "You did not hurt me, Chakotay. You kept my body alive, and our love kept me from entering the alien's matrix. I couldn't leave you, even though I thought I was dead. You were my anchor."

He sought her eyes for any sign of blame to validate his feelings of guilt, but found only love. Slowly, he calmed and accepted that although he'd hurt her, it had been necessary. He touched her sides again and swallowed. "Let's get you in the bath and then we'll go eat, and see the crew."

He waited until she was settled in the water, and then sat down beside the tub. Draping his arm over the edge, he held her hand while the hot water eased her stiff muscles.

Not wanting any potential surprises when they went to dinner, Chakotay told her about B'Elanna catching him coming into her quarters. Kathryn was quiet as she thought it over, but then smiled and shook her head.

"B'Elanna knowing that we love each other seems insignificant compared to the rest of today's events. If we're together, Chakotay, maybe everyone deserves to know. Would that really be so bad?"

He chuckled. "Are you asking me or yourself?"

"Myself, mostly," she smirked.

"And your answer?"

"That it's okay for the crew to find out. Look at everything we've had to endure out here. Love is a good thing."

"Yes, it certainly is." He leaned forward and kissed her on the nose.

With a gleam in her eye, she said, "I'll give you my dessert if you wash my back."

"No."

"Excuse me? No?"

He laughed. "I'll wash your back if you promise to eat your dessert."

She scrunched her nose. "That depends on what it is."

"If you don't like what Neelix prepared, I will replicate anything you want later."

"Ah, now there's an offer I can't refuse."

"Good." He rose up on his knees, fished the washcloth out of the water, and slowly ran it over her back as he pressed his lips to hers. She teased him until he opened to her, and the sensual dance of their lips and tongues helped chase away their concerns. Dropping the cloth, Chakotay let his fingertips wander over her spine to her neck, holding her while he reclaimed her with a lover's kiss.

He pulled back and brushed a lock of damp hair from her cheek. He studied her face, committing every line and angle to memory as if he'd never done so before. "Kathryn," he whispered. "If I'd lost you…"

"I'm right here, Chakotay." She clasped his hand and kissed his fingertips, then guided it to her breast.

He caressed her, feeling the nipple tighten against his palm and the weight of warm flesh in his fingers. He ached to undress and hold her nude body against his, to explore her from head to toe with hands and mouth before joining them until his seed filled her.

Chakotay kissed her once more and then slowly removed his hands from the water. She was still recovering, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain. Right now, she needed food and rest. He stood and held up her towel. "Come on," he said, "let's go eat with our crew."

Twenty minutes later, Kathryn was redressed and hungry for dinner. They left her quarters arm-in-arm and walked slowly through the corridor to the turbolift. The hot bath had helped her, but they both still felt the lingering effects of the shuttle crash, and he didn't want her to tire too quickly. Pausing outside the mess hall door, he asked, "Are you ready?"

"To see the crew, or for the crew to find out about us?"

"Both, I guess."

She smiled and answered with a simple "Yes."

He held her arm tightly under his, and they walked through the door. Kathryn stopped a few steps inside and surveyed the room. The former images of people in mourning during her memorial were overlaid with new ones of her crewmen sitting down to a meal together. Several of those present noticed their captain and commander enter, and paused to smile at her. With a nod, she acknowledged them and forced her expression to one of calm and contentment.

Chakotay knew her well enough to see her struggling, and bent to her ear. "We're here for you. Just say the word, and we'll leave anytime."

She turned her head to him. "It is a bit overwhelming, but I'm all right. I need to be here."

Neelix spotted them and called out, "Captain, it's so good to see you!"

Chakotay and Kathryn went to the counter and waited for Neelix to fill their plates. Chakotay hissed through his teeth when he picked up a tray and turned his injured wrist awkwardly under the weight. The tray rattled as it dropped back on the counter, and she grabbed his arm.

"Chakotay," she said with concern.

He rubbed his hand and smiled crookedly. "Sorry, I forgot about the sprained wrist."

Neelix immediately took over and shooed them toward a table. "Go, go, sit. I'll bring everything. You two sit and relax."

"Really, Neelix," Kathryn said. "We can get it."

"I'm sure you can, Captain. It doesn't hurt a thing to be waited on once in a while, either. Right, Ensign Kim?"

Harry had appeared beside Chakotay and said, "Absolutely," as he picked up the drinks. Neelix grabbed up both trays, and Kathryn and Chakotay found themselves with no choice but to follow their waiters.

"Thank you, Mr. Kim, Mr. Neelix," she said as she and Chakotay sat down at the corner table.

"No problem, Captain," Neelix said. "You let me know if you need anything else." He returned to the galley.

Harry remarked, "Captain, I'm glad to see you're out of sickbay. Are you sure you're ready to brave Neelix's cooking, though?"

She laughed. "I'll let you in on a secret, Mr. Kim. The commander promised to replicate anything I want later."

Harry grinned. "I'd take him up on that if I were you. If you'll excuse me, I'm meeting Tom and B'Elanna."

"Enjoy your dinner."

At the mention of B'Elanna's name, Chakotay searched the room for her. He had almost relaxed upon not finding her when the door slid open and she and Tom walked in. Chakotay glanced at Kathryn to gauge her reaction, and was surprised when she laid her hand over his on the table.

"I told you I was okay with it, and I meant that," she assured him.

He gripped her fingers before reluctantly letting go. "I had told her I would talk to her later. Should I do that now?"

"We both will."

Tom and B'Elanna spotted their commanding officers and made their way to the table. Tom smiled at the captain, and B'Elanna eyed Chakotay. "Captain, it's good to see you," Tom told her.

"Thank you, Mr. Paris. It's good to be here. Miss Torres, would you join us for a moment?"

B'Elanna hoped she didn't look as uncomfortable as she felt. "Yes, Captain."

Tom said, "I'll get our plates and find Harry." He walked off, and B'Elanna sat stiffly in the chair beside Chakotay.

He patted her arm. "Relax, B'Elanna."

Kathryn said, "Chakotay told me about your conversation outside my quarters. You're his friend, and I wanted you to know that you were right. He and I have been seeing each other since the luau."

B'Elanna looked wide-eyed from one to the other, and then smiled. "I'm happy for you. But really, it's none of my business. I shouldn't have made you feel pressured to tell me."

"After my experience today, I realized there are far worse things out here than caring about someone."

Chakotay and Kathryn watched B'Elanna glance across the room at Tom. "Yeah, I guess there are," she said quietly.

Chakotay pulled her attention back. "B'Elanna, do you think Kathryn's and my relationship will cause problems with the crew?"

"Problems? Why would it?"

"Well, for one, the captain getting involved with someone under her command is against the rules."

"We're a long way from Starfleet," she said with a laugh. "We're a long way from anything Starfleet ever imagined. We've already broken some protocols out here in favor common sense." The engineer turned to Kathryn. "You don't believe the crew would hold that stupid protocol against you, do you?"

"I don't know," Kathryn answered. "It is something I have considered."

B'Elanna shook her head sadly. "No, Captain. The crew wants the same thing for you that we do for each other - to make the best of our situation and be happy. Look, I won't say anything. It's your decision how you want to handle things from here. Just know that I'm happy for you, and everyone else will be, too."

"Thank you, B'Elanna," Kathryn said sincerely. "Now go and enjoy your dinner before it gets cold."

Chakotay reached for her arm before she could stand up. "B'Elanna, I'm sorry if I was short with you earlier. You caught me off guard, and I was worried about the captain."

"I'm half-Klingon, Chakotay. Come to engineering on a bad day and I'll show you 'short'." He and Kathryn laughed. "The full report on the shuttle data will be ready in the morning." At Chakotay's nod, she went over to join Tom and Harry at the other table.

Chakotay pointed his fork at Kathryn's plate. "Your dinner is getting cold, too. Eat, love."

"Yes, sir," she laughed.

For the next half hour, they ate while she talked quietly about what she felt when the Doctor euthanized her during one death scenario, and of trying to get Kes to sense her presence. Kathryn didn't show much emotion since they were in the mess hall, but he could see her struggling to put the incident behind her.

When she eventually grew quiet, Chakotay watched as she rubbed her forehead and leaned over her empty plate. "Kathryn? What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you in pain?"

"Not really, I'm just tired."

"Then let's get you back to rest."

She swept her eyes to the bulkhead on her right for only the second time since they had entered. That spot was where the alien, disguised as her father, had disappeared back into his matrix. She continued to stare until the memory's red glow receded into shipboard gray. Chakotay's warm, solid hand gripped hers across the table, recalling her to his presence and his love.

"Take me home," she said with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Kathryn rolled over and reached for Chakotay, but his side of the bed was empty. She cracked one eye open and confirmed he wasn't there, then opened both eyes and looked around. In the faint light, she found him in the lounging chair, lying back wearing only boxers. The angle of his head and his lax hands indicated he was asleep.

They had gone to bed shortly after returning to her quarters. He had held her close and recounted again what happened on the planet's surface. She had finally worked out that she had never regained consciousness from the moment the shuttle impacted until the Doctor revived her. Chakotay actually had carried her from the shuttle to a cave and had administered CPR until help arrived, as she remembered. She had decided the alien must have shown her that part to ease her away from reality into the delusion of Chakotay's grief over her death.

Turning back over in bed to face his sleeping form in the lounger, she thought of the night they had first made love. Passion had overwhelmed them to the point that he'd ended up taking her from behind in that chair. Not that she had minded. In fact, she clamped her thighs around the creeping heat at the memory of leaning over the cushion with her arms pinned beside her head, her dress hiked up around her waist, and his grunts sounding in her ear as he drove into her.

Slipping quietly from under the covers, she pulled off her nightgown and went to him, running her fingers through his hair until his eyes opened. When she knew he was aware of her, she lowered herself to straddle his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hi," he said as his hands rested on her bare back.

"Hi. I missed you."

"I must have dozed off."

"Why didn't you come to bed?"

"I didn't want to wake you, so I sat here. I was watching you sleep."

"That boring, am I?"

His dark eyes danced in the faint light. "Never, my love. I guess I was more tired than I thought." His hands began to slide over the silky skin of her back and hips, then slowly upward to her shoulders. He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers, and the peaks of her nipples to his chest. Bending his knees slightly to push her forward, he lengthened and hardened to full erection between them. "How do you feel?"

She guided his hand to her wet heat. "You tell me."

"You feel amazing." He slipped a finger through her folds and inside of her, gently sliding in and out.

Kathryn rose up on her knees until one breast lay against his lips. He latched onto her nipple, licking and sucking, drawing a moan from her as his fingertip found her clit. He gazed up as he tongued her nipple against his teeth, and the intensity on her face radiated through him. Gone was the harrowing nightmare of the day, replaced by the fires of love and life that shone from her blue eyes.

Kathryn's arms trembled as she held onto his shoulders and arched her back. She pulled her nipple away from him, and her husky voice said, "Make me yours again, Chakotay."

"I never let you go." He pushed against her knees until she lay out on top of him, and held her hips while grinding his erection against her. His boxers slid over her swollen button as he thrust, and she gasped at the material's rough contact. Reaching between them, she freed his shaft and circled her hand around the smooth, hot skin. His moan grew louder until she drove her tongue between his lips.

Chakotay sensed a change in her, in the way she gripped his hard shaft, raked the nails of her other hand down his neck, and sucked on the tip of his tongue. He had only seen her like this once before. Aggressive, demanding, she'd taken control of him one night, and he had loved every minute of it. That time, he'd had one of the most powerful orgasms of his life, and the remembrance of it made him twitch in her palm, and his body tingled. Sliding one hand up and one down, he pinched her nipple while he played through the moisture between her legs.

Kathryn braced both hands beside his head and pushed herself up. She saw his eyes darkened to black, and a flush of heat prickled her skin. "I want to feel alive," she said as she rocked over him.

He understood. Her control had been taken from her down on the planet. She'd been forced into a diabolical mind game, only regaining herself in the last moments. She needed that control back, to assert dominance over her own mind and body. Chakotay's voice was deep, as smooth as dark caramel. "Take everything you need."

She tilted her pelvis, and his finger slid inside of her, soon joined by a second. Rolling her hips, she forced herself down in his hand, but it wasn't enough. She needed to be filled, to be loved, to take him deeply within and watch him writhe beneath her. Bending her knees under her again, she reared up over him, positioned his erection, and slid down until he was sheathed inside her.

Chakotay grabbed her hips and held her down, savoring the delicious torture of that first entry. He knew she wanted it rough when she clenched her inner muscles and squeezed until he grimaced. When she released, his neck arched and he bucked upward.

Kathryn remembered that it was harder for him to come with her on top. Taking advantage of that, she slowly rotated her hips, teasing and toying with him in a way she couldn't do when he had control. Most of the time, she didn't mind him leading when they made love. A generous and skilled lover, he usually had her begging to be taken, her sex slick and tight from her orgasms, before he entered her. By that time, toying with him was far from her mind, wanting only to wrap her limbs around his broad body while he drove into her with forceful strokes.

This time, the power was hers, and she intended to torture him with pleasure. She leaned forward and raked her teeth over his neck, then suckled his ear lobe in the way that made chills race down his arms. When he hissed through his teeth and his hands tightened, she licked him and blew cool air across his neck and ear. He pushed his shaft farther into her, but she didn't give him what he wanted. Not yet.

Instead, she sat up again and held onto his shoulder with one hand while the other snaked its way down her breast and stomach to where they were joined. She circled her clit with a fingertip, and his black eyes glittered as he watched.

"Ah, God. You know that drives me crazy, Kathryn." He tried using his hold to move her up and down, but she clamped her knees tightly around him.

"I know," she husked.

His groan sounded more like a plea, even as he tilted his head to better see her touching herself. Her thighs twitched, and as her climax built, she started to ride him. Slow at first, she raised and lowered herself over his length, her eyes closing as she increased the tempo. Her fingers dug into his shoulder, and she leaned back slightly until the thick steel of his manhood pressed against her g-spot. Opening her eyes again, she saw him watching where they were joined, his shaft glistening with her oils as she rode him, driving herself toward release with her own hand.

Chakotay anchored his feet on the chair and thrust into her, waiting for that moment when she would still with muscles tightened. Her head tilted forward and her spine curved with the clenching of her stomach. The rigor grabbed hold except for her fingertips working the bundle of nerves to drive her over the edge. He pinched and rolled her nipples, and the pleasure ripped through her senses.

Her wet heat spasmed around him and she came hard, her juices trickling between his legs. He gritted his teeth and held still in her tight sheath. Finally, her inner walls loosened and Kathryn fell forward onto her elbows against his chest.

Gripping her hips again, he plunged into her, his feet on the chair giving him purchase. His powerful legs flexed with each thrust, and the strength of his arms pushed her down onto him. With her teeth and tongue scraping over his neck, collar bone, and chest, he was quickly losing control of his own orgasm.

Kathryn felt him swell inside her and spread her knees, taking him deeper. His thumbs bruised the hollows of her hips, but to her, the feeling was delicious. She loved making him lose control, and reveled in his male strength.

Kathryn matched his erratic bucking, knowing his signs as well as he knew hers, and recognizing that instant when he reached his peak. His body rose up off the chair, and he pushed her down and back on his straining length. A single, whispered "yes" from her triggered a primal yell of release. He pumped his seed into her, writhing and jerking, his hands sliding up her sides to hold on. With a groan and one last push, he collapsed onto the cushion.

Kathryn trailed her fingernails down his arms and over his chest, raking his hard nipples before retracing the lines on his skin. He shuddered once, and again, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. They rested together in their embrace, comfortable in the silence, certain that no words could express their feelings. After several minutes, Chakotay gently pushed on her shoulders for her to sit up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She smiled and laid a hand on his cheek. "I'm fine, love."

***V*V***

Chakotay awoke midmorning while Kathryn was still sleeping. She needed the rest after their night together. Round one of their lovemaking had been intense, and round two was slow and sensual. Round three had been a surprise, and he grinned at the memory.

Deciding to let her sleep, he quietly gathered his uniform and boots and carried them to the sitting area. B'Elanna's report on the shuttle accident was due, and he was anxious to learn her findings. He dressed quickly, but wanted one more look at Kathryn before he left.

Leaning in the bedroom doorway, he watched the slight rise and fall of the sheet as she breathed. Her long auburn spilled over the pillow, and one slender hand rested by her cheek. "I'll never let you go, my love," he whispered. He turned and exited her quarters, not seeing the smile that lit her face.


End file.
